Hockey sticks have traditionally been formed of solid wood, and hockey players are accustomed to the weight, balance and resiliency of these all-wood sticks. However, all-wood hockey sticks frequently break under the impacts occasioned by normal use. In a typical professional game about eight hockey sticks will break. Wooden sticks are very expensive given their short active lives and breakage during a game inconveniences the players and handicaps their teams.
For these reasons it has been proposed to provide hockey sticks formed of plastic resin reinforced with synthetic fibers such as carbon or epoxy. Within the desirable weight limits the synthetic sticks do not have sufficient strength to withstand breakage and are heavier than desired. They also do not provide the desirable resiliency of the conventional all-wood hockey stick and have become very expensive. Their unconventional appearance also offends many traditionalists. Accordingly, these all-synthetic hockey sticks have seen limited use.